Tips Advice On How To Make A Living On The Road

This is a great and robust article that answers any question you might have in regards of how to make a living while traveling. Don't let your dreams be postponed, enjoy life to the fullest and travel.

From Columbus to Lewis & Clark to Kerouac, every great traveler has had at least one thing in common: an entrepreneurial spirit.

A new generation of mobile individuals has risen, the revolution is over, and for the rest of America, that means fulfilling a lifestyle where every new day is to be spent at your leisure is a real possibility. We spoke with a dozen full-time travelers, from self-proclaimed nomadic geeks building iPhone apps to blue collar migrant construction workers ready and willing to work. Liberal college students to a Christian family of 14, some were barely of the legal drinking age while others are nearing a traditional retirement, but already seven years into their new “vacation lifestyle”. That term should not be taken lightly, though, because more than any other common thread, these wandering workers share one thing in common: they are ready and willing to create their own work.

The Internet is in need of a Noah in this particular arena, there is a worldwide flood of information on how to live and work from the road, however much of it has been procured by travel writers who are not also full-timers, while other very insightful articles tend to only apply to their particular author’s experience. Here we attempt to provide a solid, systematic outline of exactly what steps nearly everyone we spoke with followed. There will be bullet points, there will be diagrams, but we’ll be sure to throw in some real life tales as well. Grab a coffee, kick back, and have the atlas ready, as we’re fairly certain that by the time you’ve gleaned every last syllable available here, you’ll be itching to start picking out the spots on the map you want to head to first.

Prelude to a Lack of Fear

Our goal is to provide concrete examples of how to prepare for living on the road, and then actually making the transition. We’ll show you figures, give you ideas for actual income sources, and debunk some often shared rumors. What we can’t do though is give you the nerve to follow through with your own particular plan. Committing to realizing a dream is an unattainable act for many of us because of the very nature of dreams: they are easier to sleep through than to write down when you wake up. We have a little good news though: in our own experience, and with nearly everyone we spoke with, where the largest fear was not “how can I make a living while traveling” as much as it was “what will my friends and family think”, the response was nearly universal support from their friends and family when they finally let the cat out of the suitcase.

Step 1. Get Over It

We have a tendency to think that though others are capable of accomplishments, for us it just wouldn’t work. “If only I were young again,” “Well I have three kids,” and “I need to rely on a steady paycheck” are some of the most common walls we build up around our amazing human brains. We as humans—armed with the same grey matter that tamed wild horses, built ships to cross the Atlantic and shuttles to the moon—have yet to find a limitation to what our imaginations can, when combined with able and willing bodies, accomplish. Indeed, the only rival to the freedoms we can create with our minds are those very walls we build up around them in desperation for a sense of comfort. But comfort can change, and as much as your home and 9 to 5 income provide you with a sense of security now, the feeling of being responsible for your own fate, of being flexible with your monthly bills, and of the waking up to the snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains as your own personal real life painting through a window…well, you will find comfort in this if it’s truly your passion to pursue.

…but the time was never right.

This lifestyle is not just for hippies. It’s not exclusive to vagabonds, and you don’t suddenly become a hobo because you no longer have a home with a fixed location—though the termhobos actually does literally mean “traveling worker”. You instead follow in a centuries old tradition of traveling while finding work, which when combined with our modern technology, opens those doors up to more than just bards, migrant farmers and Italian explorers.

Today, some full-timers call RVs there home while others find hostels, couchsurfing opportunities or even rent apartments for a few months at a time. After a while, most learn to appreciate slow travel, where you take all the time you need in a location to both experience it more like a local than a tourist and make plenty of time for work, too.

What's a Full-Timer?

Full-timer

A person or pet who travels substantially more than they don’t.

Snowbirding

Living in one place during the more temperate months of the year & warmer locations in Winter.

Full-time RVer

A person who’s home is a Recreational Vehicle.

Slow Travel

Staying in a particular location for weeks or months at a time while traveling.

Full-timers need not be traveling daily. Many are not traditional home owners. Slow travelers relish discovering the intricacies of a place over a period of weeks or months vs. speedy tourism.